Nintendo has announced it will launch a new version of its Wii console in 2012.

The new machine will be previewed at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles in June, the company said.

The announcement comes in a period where sales of the original Wii console - the first that debuted the motion-controlled gameplay experience - have been declining in the face of tough competition from PlayStation, XBox 360 and mobile gaming platforms.

Nintendo's chief executive, Satoru Iwata suggested that his company was preparing a fresh innovation.

"It will offer a new way of playing games within the home," he said.

Altough Nintendo did not discplose technical details of the new Wii 2 console, speculation indicates that it would offer some new features such as high definition graphics.